Wikipad's detachable controller gaming tablet priced at $250

Razer isn’t the only one working on a gaming tablet with detachable controllers. A Los Angeles-based company has come up with a much more affordable proposition in the form of a 7-inch device powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor and a customized version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Slated to launch in spring for $249, the Wikipad hopes to become the go-to device for gaming on Android.

The tablet was originally scheduled to launch in October 2012 with distribution at several big name retailers including Best Buy and Amazon. But a flaw discovered in the initial production run forced the company to delay its plans and took the opportunity to make some ‘minor’ refinements in the labs. Specifically, they went with a smaller and cheaper version rather than the 10.1-inch design priced at $499 as initially planned.

Besides the screen size reduction Wikipad is leaving every other spec untouched. The same Tegra 3 chip is present along 1GB of RAM, 16GB of memory expandable via microSD, a 2MP front facing camera, micro HDMI and USB ports, a 1,280 x 800 resolution display, and of course its defining feature: a dual-analog stick controller that wraps around the device and can be detached for the Wikipad to function as a standard tablet.

As far as content is concerned, Wikipad promises access to games from partners and services including PlayStation Mobile, OnLive, and the growing library on the Google Play store. Out of the box, Wikipad includes games like Hockey Nations Tournament, Dead Trigger and MadFingers’s multi-player ShadowGun: Dead Zone -- all for free and optimized for Wikipad’s ergonomic game controller. Here’s a list of supported titles.